Body – Sweet, spicy, beautifully Springbank and then suddenly… dusty and very dry sherry blows away all Springbank beauty leaving you rather crestfallen at first. But the sulphur that immediately precedes it and the bubblegum sulphur that follows it marks out the complexity and enjoyment that you’ll come to love in due course. With water… that does smooth out the experience. The dusty dry sherry arrives later, significantly better integrated with the sweet oil.

Finish – The sweetness returns with echoes of the dusty disappointment and the sulphur heat. A very long finish ensues with lots of ripe old complexity, ending in balanced, tannic sulphur.

What’s not good about it – It’s hard not to be let down initially when your nose prepares you for a Springbank 15yo experience and you get dry sherry. But go with it. It’s worth it and this definitely works in the end!

What’s good about it – The nose is Springbank perfection. Dark, sweet and masculine. The journey I’ve describe to you through the delivery is extremely moreish, and it’s just expectations that get in the way of initial enjoyment. Water takes all the sharp corners off the experience, I’d almost recommend skipping trying it neat.